Dungeon Desolation (The Divine Dungeon Book 4)

by Dakota Krout

  Beast Core – A small gem that contains the Essence of Beasts.

  Flawed: An extremely weak crystallization of Essence that barely allows a Beast to cultivate, comparable to low F-rank.

  Weak: A weak crystallization of Essence that allows a Beast to cultivate, comparable to an upper F-rank.

  Standard: A crystallization of Essence that allows a Beast to cultivate well, comparable to the D-rankings.

  Strong: A crystallization of Essence that allows a Beast to cultivate very well, comparable to the lower C-rankings.

  Beastly: A crystallization of Essence that allows a Beast to cultivate exceedingly well, comparable to the upper C-rankings.

  Immaculate: An amalgamation of crystallized of Essence and Mana that allows a Beast to cultivate exceedingly well. Any Beast in the B-rankings or A-rankings will have this Core.

  Luminous: A Core of pure spiritual Essence that is indestructible by normal means. A Beast with this core will be in at least the S-rankings, up to SSS-rank.

  Radiant: A Core of Heavenly or Godly energies. A Beast with this Core is able to adjust reality on a whim.

  Brianna – A Dark Elf Queen that intends to build a city around the dungeon. She is a member of the council and knows that the dungeon is alive and sentient.

  Cal – The heart of the Dungeon, Cal was a human murdered by Necromancers. After being forced into a soul gem, his identity was stripped as time passed. Now accompanied by Dani, he works to become stronger without attracting too much attention to himself. Too late.

  Cats, dungeon – There are several types:

  Snowball: A Boss Mob, Snowball uses steam Essence to fuel his devastating attacks.

  Cloud Cat: A Mob that glides along the air, attacking from positions of stealth.

  Coiled Cat: A heavy Cat that uses metal Essence. It has a reinforced skeleton and can launch itself forward at high speeds.

  Flesh Cat: This Cat uses flesh Essence to tear apart tissue from a short distance. The abilities of this Cat only work on flesh and veins and will not affect bone or harder materials.

  Wither Cat: A Cat full of infernal Essence, the Wither Cat can induce a restriction of Essence flow with its attacks. Cutting off the flow of Essence or Mana will quickly leave the victim in a helpless state. The process is quite painful.

  Celestial – The Essence of Heaven, the embodiment of life and considered the ultimate good.

  Center – The very center of a person’s soul. This is the area Essence accumulates (in creatures that do not have a Core) before it binds to the Life Force.

  Chandra – Owner of an extremely well-appointed restaurant, this A-ranked Mage is the grandmother of Rose. She has an unknown history with The Master.

  Chi spiral – A person’s Chi spiral is a vast amount of intricately knotted Essence. The more complex and complete the pattern woven into it, the more Essence it can hold and the finer the Essence would be refined.

  Cleric – A Cultivator of Celestial Essence, a cleric tends to be support for a group, rarely fighting directly. Their main purpose in the lower rankings is to heal and comfort others.

  Corruption – Corruption is the remnant of the matter that pure Essence was formed into. It taints Essence but allows beings to absorb it through open affinity channels. This taint has been argued about for centuries; is it the source of life or a nasty side effect?

  Craig – A powerful C-Ranked monk, Craig has dedicated his life to finding the secrets of Essence and passing on knowledge.

  Currency values:

  Copper: one hundred copper coins are worth a silver coin

  Silver: one hundred silver coins are worth a Gold coin

  Gold: one hundred Gold coins are worth a Platinum coin

  Platinum: the highest coin currency in the Human Kingdoms

  Cultivate – Cultivating is the process of refining Essence by removing corruption then cycling the purified Essence into the center of the soul.

  Cultivator – A cultivator is one who cultivates. See above. Seriously, it is the entry right before this one. I’m being all alphabetical here. Mostly.

  Dale – Owner of the mountain the dungeon was found on, Dale is now a cultivator who attempts to not die on a regular basis. As a Dungeon Born person, he has a connection to the dungeon that he can never be rid of.

  Dani – A pink dungeon wisp – Is that important? – Dani is the soul bound companion of Cal and acts as his moral compass and helper.

  Distortion Cat – An upper C-Ranked Beast that can bend light and create artificial darkness. In its home territory, it is attacked and bound by tentacle like parasites that form a symbiotic relationship with it.

  Dregs – A Dungeon Core that has limited intelligence. It was installed into Cal’s dungeon to control floors 1-4 so Cal could focus on other things.

  Dungeon Born – Being dungeon born means that the dungeon did not create the creature but gave it life. This gives the creature the ability to function autonomously without fear that the dungeon will be able to take direct control of its mind.

  Dwarves – Stocky humanoids that like to work with stone, metal, and alcohol. Good miners.

  Egil Nolsen – known to the world as ‘Xenocide’, this man is of unknown ranking and fully insane.

  Elves – A race of willowy humanoids with pointy ears. There are five main types:

  High Elves: The largest nation of Elvenkind, they spend most of their time as merchants, artists, or thinkers. Rich beyond any need to actually work, their King is an S-Ranked expert, and their cities shine with light and wealth. They like to think of themselves as ‘above’ other Elves, thus ‘High’ Elves.

  Wood Elves: Wood Elves live more simply than High-Elves, but have greater connection to the earth and the elements. They are ruled by a counsel of S-ranked elders and rarely leave their woods. Though seen less often, they have great power. They grow and collect food and animal products for themselves and other Elven nations.

  Wild: Wild Elves are the outcasts of their societies, basically feral, they scorn society, civilization, and the rules of others. They have the worst reputation of any of the races of Elves, practicing dark arts and infernal summoning. They have no homeland, living only where they can get away with their dark deeds.

  Dark: The Drow are known as Dark Elves. No one knows where they live, only where they can go to get in contact with them. Dark Elves also have a dark reputation as Assassins and mercenaries for the other races. The worst of their lot are ‘Moon-Elves’, the best-known Assassins of any race. These are the Elves that Dale made a deal with for land and protection.

  Sea: The Sea Elves live on boats their entire lives. They facilitate trade between all the races of Elves and man, trying not to take sides in conflicts. They work for themselves and are considered rather mysterious.

  Essence – Essence is the fundamental energy of the universe, the pure power of heavens and earth that is used by the basic elements to become all forms of matter.

  Father Richard – An A-ranked Cleric that has made his living hunting demons and heretics. Tends to play fast and loose with rules and money.

  Fighter – A generic archetype of a being that uses melee weapons to fight.

  Frank – Was the Guild Leader of the Adventurers’ Guild. He had his Mana bound to the concept of kinetic energy and could stop the use of it, slowing or stopping others in place.

  Grace – A purple dungeon wisp – Is that important? – Grace is the offspring of Dani and Cal.

  Hans – A cheeky Assassin that has been with Dale since he began cultivating. He was a thief in his youth but changed lifestyles after his street guild was wiped out. He is deadly with a knife and is Dale’s best friend. Now Rose’s husband.

  Incantation – Essentially a spell, an incantation is created from words and gestures. It releases all of the power of an enchantment in a single burst.

  Infected – A person or creature that has been infected with a rage-inducing mushroom growth. These people have no control of their bodies and attack a
ny non-infected on sight.

  Infernal – The Essence of death and demonic beings, considered to be always evil.

  Inscription – A permanent pattern made of Essence that creates an effect on the universe. Try not to get the pattern wrong as it could have… unintended consequences. This is another name for an incomplete or unknown Rune.

  Mages’ Guild – A secretive sub-sect of the Adventurers’ Guild only Mage level cultivators are allowed to join.

  Mana – A higher stage of Essence only able to be cultivated by those who have broken into at least the B-rankings and found the true name of something in the universe.

  Meridians – Meridians are energy channels that transport life energy (Chi/Essence) throughout the body.

  Mob – A shortened version of “dungeon monster”.

  Necromancer – An Infernal Essence cultivator who can raise and control the dead and demons.

  Noble rankings -

  King/Queen – Ruler of their country. (Addressed as ‘Your Majesty’)

  Crown Prince/Princess – Next in line to the throne, has the same political power as a Grand Duke. (Addressed as ‘Your Royal Highness’)

  Prince/Princess – Child of the King/Queen, has the same political power as a Duke. (Addressed as ‘Your Highness’)

  Grand Duke -Ruler of a grand duchy and is senior to a Duke. (Addressed as “your Grace”)

  Duke -Is senior to a Marquis or marquess (Addressed as “your Grace”)

  Marquis/Marquess -Is senior to an Earl and has at least three Earls in their domain. (Addressed as ‘Honorable’)

  Earl -Is senior to a Baron. Each Earl has three barons under their power (Addressed as ‘My Lord/Lady’)

  Baron – Senior to knights, they control a minimum of ten knights and therefore their land. (Addressed as ‘My Lord/Lady’)

  Knights – Sub rulers of plots of land and peasants (Addressed as ‘Sir’)

  Pattern – A pattern is the intricate design that makes everything in the universe. An inanimate object has a far less complex pattern that a living being.

  Raile – A massive, granite covered Boss Basher that attacks by ramming and attempting to squish its opponents.

  Ranger – Typically an adventurer archetype that is able to attack from long range, usually with a bow.

  Ranking System – The ranking system is a way to classify how powerful a creature has become through fighting and cultivation.

  G – At the lowest ranking is mostly non-organic matter such as rocks and ash. Mid-G contains small plants such as moss and mushrooms while the upper ranks form most of the other flora in the world.

  F – The F -ranks are where beings are becoming actually sentient, able to gather their own food and make short-term plans. The mid-F ranks are where most humans reach before adulthood without cultivating. This is known as the fishy or “failure” rank.

  E – The E-rank is known as the “echo” rank and is used to prepare a body for intense cultivation.

  D– This is the rank where a cultivator starts to become actually dangerous. A D-ranked individual can usually fight off ten F-ranked beings without issue. They are characterized by a “fractal” in their Chi spiral.

  C – The highest-ranked Essence cultivators, those in the C rank usually have opened all of their meridians. A C-ranked cultivator can usually fight off ten D-ranked and one hundred F-ranked beings without being overwhelmed.

  B – This is the first rank of Mana cultivators, known as Mages. They convert Essence into Mana through a nuanced refining process and release it through a true name of the universe.

  A – Usually several hundred years are needed to attain this rank, known as High-Mage or High-Magous. They are the most powerful rank of Mages.

  S – Very mysterious Spiritual Essence cultivators. Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  SS – Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  SSS – Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  Heavenly – Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  Godly – Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  Rose – A Half-Elf ranger that joined Dale’s team. She has opposing affinities for Celestial and Infernal Essence, making her a chaos cultivator.

  Rune – A permanent pattern made of Essence that creates an effect on the universe. Try not to get the pattern wrong as it could have… unintended consequences. This is another name for a completed Inscription.

  Silverwood Tree – A mysterious tree that has silver wood and leaves. Some say that it helps cultivators move into the B-rankings.

  Soul Stone – A highly refined Beast Core that is capable of containing a human soul.

  Tank – An adventurer archetype that is built to defend his team from the worst of the attacks that come their way. Heavily armored and usually carrying a large shield, these powerful people are needed if a group plans on surviving more than one attack.

  Tom – A huge red-haired barbarian prince from the northern wastes, he wields a powerful Warhammer and has joined Dale’s team. He is only half as handy to have around right now.

  Xan – A green dungeon wisp – Is that important? – Xan is the wisp bonded to Dregs.

  Sneak Peek

  Jaxon was standing next to his collapsible table, staring and smiling at the people passing by him. He was hoping to entice them with the powerful buffs he could offer, because he really needed to outfit himself with food, drink, and equipment before leaving on his walkabout. If he were extra sneaky, he could go to the bank and make a withdrawal, but…

  Warrant for your arrest in Ardania. Time remaining: 92:16.

  Jaxon grumbled about the false charges brought against him, but at least he could go back to the city in about four days. If those random people hadn’t wanted help, why had they asked for it? Then! Then! To call the guards when Jaxon simply requested the payment he was due? Scandalous!

  “Excuse me? I see that you are offering buffs, is that accurate?” An overly muscular warrior was looming over Jaxon, arms crossed and sporting a dark glare. “I’d like the buff at a discount.”

  Intimidation ineffectual! Your skill is a full rank higher!

  Oh? Mr. Mohawk was trying to become friends with him! Jaxon thought that was sweet, but there was no need for this guy to use a skill: he could just ask! Jaxon smiled cheerfully and began limbering up his hands with his standard exercises.

  “Can’t offer a discount, the prices are fixed by the national health board! If I offered you a discount, legally I would need to offer the same discount to anyone who wanted it.” Jaxon knew that the laws of his country most likely didn’t apply in game, but this random fighter shouldn’t. “Armor off, hop on the table!”

  The Warrior stared at him a bit longer, and Jaxon got a few more ‘failed intimidation’ notifications. Finally, the unknown man sighed and took off the bulky armor he was wearing, moving to lay face down on the table. “You’re pretty good. First time my skill didn’t work.”

  “No worries there, new friend! I understand very well how useful intimidation can be.” Oops! Jaxon had forgotten that by saying the skill name aloud, it shifted to an active version. Now this poor warrior was as stiff as a board. Jaxon quickly decided to offer some free acupuncture as penance. “I can help with this, hold still while I stab you. Whoops, didn’t meant to activate the skill again! I swear, it goes off for just no reason at all!”

  The Warrior was about to roll off the table, but Jaxon’s needle expertly jabbed into his neck and back; forcibly relaxing his muscles. Perfect! Now it should be easy to work on his adjustments. The Warrior was saying something into the table, but his position precluded Jaxon from understanding what it was. The Chiropractor pulled on the man’s arms, pushed on his back, twisted his chin from side to side, then worked over his legs. That should do it for a basic buff package! Jaxon removed the needles, then
offered him a glass of water as he sat upright. People tended to be thirsty after a proper adjustment.

  “Whoa!” The Warrior took a swing at him! Jaxon took a rapid step backward and prepared to defend himself. “What is going on here? Are you unhappy with the buff you just received?”

  “You son of…” The furious man trailed off and his eyes glazed over, obviously he was looking at the buff. “What in the world? That’s… that’s ten percent higher strength and dexterity!”

  “Well, yes, your joints were locked pretty heavily there. I’m unsurprised that you had such a beneficial experience, but I’d like an apology and additional payment for the unsolicited assault!” Jaxon was off-put by his client’s strangely shifting attitude. The Warrior scratched behind his ear, blushed, then handed over the amount Jaxon had requested plus a generous tip. “Thank you for your business! Come again!”

  “You know what?” The Warrior muttered while re-equipping his armor. “I think I actually will come back.”